It’s been a long hot summer for various members and reputed associates of the Philadelphia Mafia. Some spent lazy, hazy days along the beaches in Margate and Ventnor, in the air-conditioned casinos of Atlantic City and on the boardwalk in Wildwood.

Others -- many others -- sweltered in prison cells from Philadelphia to West Virginia to Texas.

Last summer Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino was on trial in a federal courtroom in Philadelphia. He was on the front page of local newspapers and on the evening news. This summer the convicted racketeer is sitting in a prison cell in Beaumont, Texas, surrounded by good old boy criminals, Cajun felons and country-cuss crooks.

Beaumont is 40 miles from the Gulf Coast but the small city is so humid and so hot that Texans often refer to it as "Beaumont, just three miles from Hell."

Joey's wife, Deborah Merlino, is reportedly angry with her husband and in the process of moving out of their three-story, redbrick townhouse in South Philadelphia which is worth more than $300,000.

The government has several liens against the property and Deborah Merlino, according to law enforcement sources, will never see a dime from the sale of her posh home.

Underworld sources claim Joey Merlino has spread the word that he is planning to divorce Deborah.

Neither Deborah Merlino nor Joey Merlino’s attorney could be reached for comment.

Over the summer FBI agents have contacted several of Merlino’s imprisoned codefendants. The Feds are said to be trying to build a case to charge Merlino’s crew with meth trafficking and the October 1999 murder of Ron Turchi, a high-ranking Mafioso.

But the Feds need someone to corroborate mob associate turned government witness Roger Vella and his tales about Mafia drug deals and the Turchi killing. The Feds need a second witness but so far there are no takers.

Coincidentally, as Merlino fades from public consciousness, his one-time rival Nicky Scarfo Jr. is also prepping for jail. Nicky Jr. recently pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling operation in North Jersey and will go to prison for three years in the fall.

At one time, Merlino and Scarfo were good pals but when Merlino’s father was demoted by Scarfo’s dad, Underworld insiders claim, Scarfo Jr. broke off his friendship with Skinny Joey and expected others to do the same.

When Nicky Jr.’s father was convicted in 1987 and again in 1988 on federal racketeering and murder charges, Junior suddenly found himself without a power base. On Halloween night in 1989 Scarfo Jr. was shot and wounded by a gunman wearing a Batman mask, inside a South Philadelphia restaurant.

For years police sources have claimed that Merlino was the masked gunman, but he and his attorneys have repeatedly denied his involvement. No one has ever been charged in the attempted hit.

Last week, William “Billy” Rinick, a reputed mob associate, was indicted for running a large-scale cocaine drug trafficking operation. Rinick has been in prison since May on a murder charge.

The federal case grew out of an investigation started by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. When state agents raided the home of jailed Merlino back in December, they found Rinick in his underwear, hiding under a bed.

At the time of the raid, Deborah Merlino, her two daughters and a nanny were also in house. After the incident Rinick told reporters that he was a good friend of both Joey and Deborah.

A close friend of Merlino’s explained to City Paper that Rinick was just renting a room at the mob boss’ house. He needed a place to stay because his own house was under constant police surveillance. The source said Merlino welcomed the rent money because it would help fund his own legal appeals.

City Paper has learned that at least two former Rinick associates may testify against Rinick. Underworld sources familiar with the investigation claim Rinick brought this all on himself.

The source told City Paper that Rinick allegedly starting sleeping with the girlfriend of one of his crime partners. When the crime partner discovered Rinick’s alleged betrayal, he contacted police and offered to wear a wire against Rinick to document his reputed drug trafficking operation.

“Rinick was always trying to prove he was a ladies’ man,” explained the law enforcement source. “But he really picked the wrong lady this time.”

In April, Rinick told one friend he was planning to spend at least part of this summer at a pricey condo he owns in South Beach, Fla. “It’s on the second floor across from the beach,” Rinick told his buddy. “I can see the ocean from my windows. At night, there are so many beautiful women in South Beach it’s just unbelievable.”

Two weeks ago Underworld reported that the Philadelphia mob allegedly was getting involved in the rap music business. An Underworld source contacted City Paper last week and claimed someone in the mob loved the story.

The source explains, "We're trying to find and represent black inner-city kids from the streets. They've all seen the Godfather movies. They all want the rep of being with the mob. So the article didn't hurt." The source says, "It's the kind of publicity rappers want anyway. And the best part is, we ain't doing anything wrong. This is a legitimate business venture but if they want to think it's more than that, that's OK too. We're all making money and nobody has to worry about going to jail because it's 100 percent legal."